One Last Chance for Survival
by Taiora Freak
Summary: A fateful crash leaves her trapped and alone in a desert wasteland, where the sands of time blows ceaselessly and the sun never shines. With Jordan missing and the Timeless One freed from his prison, the end of the world is fast approaching. For Eva, the fight for survival has just begun.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Prologue

She found herself walking, walking through vast and rough grounds. The wind was blowing ceaselessly, whirling sand everywhere. It was so hard to move, let alone see. If it wasn't for her pilot glasses she would never have been able to walk right through this sandstorm. She could tell by the sand abraded ancient buildings that this extreme weather would never stop and had never stopped for that matter. It was weird, really. How could the wind blow so strong so deep below the earth? She must be miles down, but still the thrusts of dessert like air kept on blowing at high speed, whirling every particle round and round and round, making the tiny sand flakes grind stone temples to ruins season after season. It's so much she doesn't understand about this world, a world so far away from her own. But still she keeps on going, persistent on finding her partner and a way out of this dark forgotten world.

At first she had been running, running like crazy. Searching for any signs of life, but found none. Minutes turned to hours but she kept on running, even when her legs begged her to stop, she would not listen. She searched everywhere, but found no one. No signs of her partner, no signs of anything at all. Sometimes she found herself wondering if anyone was even searching for her, for them. Had they all given up on them, believing them dead? Had _Jordan_ lost faith in her? What about her father? Had he abandoned her _again_ too? She shook her aching head to rid herself of those dark thoughts, and focused instead on the predicament she found herself stuck in.

How long had it been? A week, maybe two, or possibly even longer? All she knew, was that time didn't matter to her anymore. She rested when her body collapsed; she ate when she found something eatable and drank whenever something similar to liquid came her way, except that, time only told her that her chances of finding her partner alive slowly evaporated like water in this warm windy world.

If she was to guess the time right now, she would assume it was well past sundown but she couldn't be sure. Sundown's and sunrises was identical down here, they both were dark, gray-brown and deathly silent. It was like walking through an endless graveyard filled with ancient dilapidated temples. The dread and deathlike silence was thick in the ever-blowing wind, which played with the hollowness of the inhospitable temples covering the sandy ground. The sounds of the wind echoing throughout the netherworld like a warning sign to all trespassers such as herself, telling everyone to stay aware of this dark wild world.

Molly or was it Eva, she wasn't sure anymore. Was she Molly, the girl who suddenly showed up at Wei racing, a stowaway to the far-off planet Alwas and a competitor in the Great Race of Ōban. Or was she Eva, the daughter of Don Wei, president of Wei Racing and the best race manager in the world? Everyone on Ōban knew her as Molly, even her partner Jordan and the Nourasian prince didn't know her well kept secret. Her father was downright ignorant to see the resemblance to his daughter in "Molly" and it took him 17 races to figure it out. The only one, who had seen through her fake façade from the start, was star pilot, Rick Thunderbolt. He had seen her true self, but as fate would have it, he left just as she felt safe enough to trust and rely on someone again. All in all, she felt more like Molly than Eva right now. However, she wouldn't let that stop her. Oh no, she wouldn't be Eva Wei, or Molly for that matter, if she did. She was a determined and stubborn young woman, and Eva wouldn't let anything slow her down. She _did_ escape the boarding school, found her father, travelled to Ōban and raced against the greatest pilots in the universe for a prize so incomprehensible it was downright scary. After living to tell about that, clearly she couldn't just give up now. Hell no, that would be like throwing a part of herself away.

With newly found energy, Eva jumped up from the warm, hard ground. She lowered the pilot glasses from her forehead and placed them once again over her auburn eyes, shielding them from the swirling sand particles. She let her gloved hand gently trace the ancient writing on the temple wall before she stopped at the little entrance to the millennium old ruin she had sought refuge in. She held her breath and closed her eyes, listening for anything out of the ordinary. The wind's silent performance was the only sound that reached her ears, and Eva slowly opened her sharp eyes and scanned the area before her. She slowly stepped out of the safe cover of the temple and began walking in the direction she thought was west. The wind immediately tore through her delicate skin with its strong gusts, whirling tiny but dagger sharp sand particles around and whisking over her fair skin, penetrating the sore and healing flesh. She bit her lip to suppress a whimper as the wind continued to rip through the bare skin on her arms and stomach. She forced the water gathering in her eyes away and kept on going, telling herself to preserve all the fluid she could. She was used to this after so many days out in the wind, getting her skin torn like this every time, but it only got worse and worse not better. Her skin had not yet completely healed and it didn't help getting it all torn up again but she pushed on like it didn't hurt. She had one thought in mind, and that made the pain dull. She had to find Jordan. Her skin was becoming numb to all the gashes spreading across her body. The aching subsided slowly and she let out a breath she was unaware she had been holding. She continued to search, calling Jordan's name repeatedly, but only the wind gave her answers.

Hours went by before Eva slowly made her way into another ancient temple and collapsed against the stonewall. She let her head fall against its warm surface and closed her eyes, listening to her breathing as it calmed down into a low whistling sound. She knew that being out in the wind like this, getting all that flying sand into her lungs wasn't healthy, but she had no other choice. If only she could find Jordan. Together they would find a way to repair the Whizzing Arrow III – if they could find it. Then, they both could get out of this hellhole in a second.

She sighed lowly as she lifted her tired hand and took of the worn glove. She let her fingers brushed against her raw skin and winced as it came in contact with the small gashes covering it. She turned her hand around and saw the blood lingering on her slim fingers. She let her gaze wander over her bruised and bleeding skin and she could still see the tiny sand flakes in her open wounds but the exhaustion made it impossible for her to do anything about it. She gently let her hand fall back into her lap and entwined with the other as she rested her head against the wall once more. She closed her eyes and tried to suppress the pain enough to let exhaustion drag her into a restless slumber.

Eva awoke by her aching and throbbing skin some hours later. She winced as she shifted position. She looked out at the vast wasteland with the a few high dead reeds blowing in the wind. It was just as dead as it always had been, and she suddenly felt like throwing up right there. She hadn't eaten in days and the only liquid she had found was in one of the temples a few miles back. She was so exhausted and malnourished that every movement took its toll. She knew she had to find something to eat, and fast. She whimpered as she rose up on unsteady feet and began half limping to the entrance. Every fiber of her being told her to stay inside the little refuge the ancient ruin provided, but she had to continue the search for Jordan. So she pushed her sore legs forwards, out into the open air.

Regret was the first thing on her mind as she felt the wind once again brush against her raw skin and tearing through it like tiny razor-sharp blades, but she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and continued onward.

She called his name over and over until her throat was sore. She wouldn't stop, even though the rational part of her brain told her that considering the time gone by since the crash, there was no guaranty that Jordan was still alive. However, the other part of her brain, the stubborn part, refused to give up hope. She had to keep on searching. He was her partner for heaven's sake. By now, she had lost the feelings in her legs, leaving only a numb pricking sensation vibrating up and down her slender legs. They carried her swaying body on autopilot until something caught her foot and she stumbled and fell to the ground, face first. She was too tired to get angry and tried to push her body of the ground but her limbs wouldn't listen. The warm sand burned her face. Exhaustion washed over her like waves on a stormy sea, and all she could see before blackness covered her vision was the pink form of a bunny imprinted on something that looked an awfully lot like a part of the Whizzing Arrow III.

* * *

And with that prologue, dear readers, I bring you yet another AU-story.

Some short footnotes:

An elaboration on the genre: This fic is going to end up as an Action-Adventure-Science-Fantasy-Angst-Tragedy-Drama-Hurt/Comfort-Romance-Friendship with maybe a little bit of Humor thrown in now and again.

A disclaimer regarding the pairing(s): The pairings aren't decided as of yet. As it stands now, it's more Aikka/Eva/Jordan. As the story progress, I would like to hear your preferences. This will be the primary focus relationship-wise.

A warning about timeframe: As with all multi-chapter stories, I can't vouch for my update schedule, but I'll try to update whenever I can.

And finally, an invitation: If any of you – however many of you there are – leave reviews, I'll try to respond to those of you with accounts with a PM and to those who review as guests, I'll respond to you in the Author's Notes at the end of the chapter I publish next. So, feel free to review!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Her world was blurring as Eva slowly regained consciousness. She tried her best to force her eyes to focus but they wouldn't listen and kept on closing every time she opened them. She lay still for a moment, focusing on breathing evenly in and out. With the little strength she had left, she forced her body to cooperate and pushed herself off the ground with her hands. She stumbled a little when she stood on trembling legs, but managed to stay standing. The dull pain throbbing throughout her body was still there to remind her that she was still stuck miles under the earth, with no way out. With a sigh, she let her eyes wander over the same old scenery until she found what she was searching for. Just behind the blowing reeds was a familiar piece of metal. She forgot all about exhaustion and ran straight to the heartwarming sight of the front wing of the Whizzing Arrow III; the bunny she had painted was still there.

Maybe she wasn't as doomed as she thought she was. _With one piece buried here, the ship can't be too far away! Maybe I'll be able to fly out of her after all._ With that in mind, she immediately jumped up from the ground, ready to get the hell out of this creepy place and find Jordan. Then finally, she would be able to get some real food and rest. She made her way round the protruding wing of her Star Racer, hoping desperately that the Whizzing Arrow not be buried, lest she had to find something akin to a spade which would be like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. Regardless, she did not fancy digging a whole Star Racer out of the ground. She decided to try her luck and pull the object out. Placing her hands round the part, she used all her might and hauled the reactor's shield from the sand's clutches. The sudden force of release made her stagger and fall backwards. She grunted as her butt hit the ground. She pushed herself back onto her feet and picked up the outer shield of the reactor. Her spirit lifted a little at the sight of the pink bunny grinning up at her, and she began to drag the aforementioned piece of metal towards the hill not too far away from her. The rest of the Whizzing Arrow III couldn't be far off. After reaching the vista point, it took half a second for her to drop the part and another half a second to fall to her knees. About 70 meters down from her, she could see the remains of once a beautiful Star Racer, her Star Racer, lying spread across the vast ground.

"How is this possible!?" She screamed into the blowing wind. "Darn it!" She smashed her fists hard against the sand covered ground before she angrily stood up and rushed down the steep hill. Once down, she ran over to the cockpit of the Whizzing Arrow III and with a low thud, she knelt beside the broken window trying to see anything operative in the completely destroyed ship. She slowly crawled in pushing all the buttons that were still there without much luck. Without power, nothing responded to her commands. She hit the floor with her palms over and over, letting her anger and frustration roll of her with every punch. She didn't stop before numbness was all she could feel in her hands. A thought formed in her head, calming her mind, and she hurriedly crawled out of the battered cockpit and ran over to another part of the Whizzing Arrow. She let her gloved fingers race over the firm metal before she found what she was looking for. A small crack in the bulked object made it easy for Eva to slip her slim fingers into it. Her fingers closed around the former reactor of the Star Racer before she pulled it towards herself. It didn't budge. With a sharp intake of breath, she assembled all her strength into her arm and pulled the strong metal once more. She could feel it twitch under the pressure. Without a second notion, she found herself flying backwards with the metal plate in her hands. She landed roughly with a loud thud against the hard sandy surface once more. The next thing she felt when she tried to get up was the beginning of a searing pain originating from her right thigh. She brushed it off as she pushed herself to her feet and grabbed the metal plate, which had left her hands during the impact.

She was about to start running back to the cockpit but found herself planted face first on the warm, hard ground. A high-pitched scream left her throat before she could stop it, and in one swift movement, she was cradling her bleeding thigh tightly against her chest while slowly rolling back and forth. Tears pricked behind her tightly shut eyelids. It was not long before one tear found its way around the barricade of her thick eyelashes and ran gently down her delicate cheek before it fell and landed on the ground with an inaudible soft thud.

Minutes went by before her rocking ceased completely. She lay still for a moment, gathering her strength until she began to push herself up to a sitting position. She let out the breath she was holding and looked down at her bleeding thigh. She carefully examined the wound and winced whenever her fingers came in to contact with the aching injury. She gently cleaned the wound the best she could, but without proper medical equipment, it was not much she could do. She tore a piece of fabric from her left leg and wrapped it around the cut to stop the bleeding. With that done, she somehow managed to get up without straining her thigh too much. She then limped over to the bothersome metal plate and bent down to pick it up. She hissed lowly as the joints in the leg protested against the movement but she just brushed it off, determined to fulfill her plan. She brought the object up at eye level and saw the fresh red blood, her blood, at the sharp tip of the plate.

"Damn it!" She hissed lowly as she began walking back to the wrecked cockpit. Her progress was slow as she limped over the sand covered metallic ground, the wind tearing at her clothes. _The wind is picking up_. She thought. A terrible foreboding feeling left her breathless, but she pushed the sensation aside. After a short walk, which should have taken no more than two minutes lasted about ten for Eva as she limped her way over to the shattered cockpit and crawled inside. There she brushed away the broken glass that lay spread across the floor. She turned the metal plate in her hand around so the bloody tip was facing downward and with all her might, she stabbed a few centimeters into the metal floor of the battered cockpit and began carving in a message. At first, the letters were a bit uneven and with a closer look, one could see a small trace of blood in the carvings but eventually as the words formed, they evened out into a readable message.

The same feeling of unease crept up her spine as she finished her work. Forcing the feeling aside once more, she brushed the sweat from her forehead and looked down at her work. If Jordan would stumble across the Whizzing Arrow III after she left, he would find her message and know that she was still alive and where to search for her. A small smile graced her lips, but the feeling of glee was short lived as the same dreadful feeling sent a cold tremor down her spine. Something was terribly wrong. Regretting not heeding the previous warnings, she cursed under her breath as she made her way out of the cockpit and into the open air. If it was one thing she had learned during her time in this world godforsaken world, it was not to doubt her senses, not under any circumstances. The wind was blowing faster than before, and she squinted, trying to improve the chance of seeing through the storm. The feeling of razorblades against her exposed skin was almost unbearable, but she pushed on. She had to rely on her eyesight instead of hearing since the drum of the wind was so high it drowned out everything else.

Something whiskered by. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a shadow. She stopped abruptly. Standing frozen to the spot, she waited in complete silence. She didn't even dare to breathe. Sweat stained her skin as the minutes passed by painfully slow. Another flicker to her left had her stumbling forward as a creature made of pure darkness came barreling at her.

A terrible shriek made her reflexively cover her ears as she ran. Before she knew it, she felt its presence close behind her. She tried to push her legs to move faster, but she stumbled instead and tumbled to the ground. Despite being winded by the fall and the throbbing in her thigh, she was up and running in a flash. She could feel the sweat run down her face and for a second, she squeezed her eyes tight.

 _Come on Eva you can fight it! You've survived through worse things than this. Remember the time you leaped over the edge of the racetrack and landed on the Whizzing Arrow I, to save Rick? That was more dangerous than this. What about the time Jordan and you crashed at the bottom of that deep canyon and he was building that lousy/irresolute tent, saying something about how long it could take someone to find you? Terrifying. So pull yourself together girl!_

A warm breath against her neck made her amber eyes snap open and just as she was about to whirl around and fight, something grabbed her from behind. She tried to fight, trashing and screaming but her assailant was much stronger than she was. Something wrapped itself tightly around her waist and she felt herself lifted from the ground.

"Let me go you creep!"

She struggled against the iron grip, but that only caused it to tighten its hold on her even more, squeezing the last of breath out of her lungs. In a last attempt to break free she lowered her head so she was at mouth level with the claws holding her and parted her lips slightly before biting with all her might the black hand surrounding her waist and with a deafening shriek the tight hold on her lessened. Hot air whizzed by her as she plummeted through the air.

The fall only lasted a few seconds but to Eva it felt like an eternity. She braced herself for the impact, clenching her yaw tightly for not to accidentally bite off her own tongue. Once she hit the ground, the force of the impact sent her tumbling. Once she finally stopped, she lay still for a moment and checked her body for any broken bones. She sighed in relief. That relief was short lived. Pain seared through her slight frame as she pushed herself up on wobbling legs. She bit her lip as she forced her legs into a sprint. With one last glance behind her, she caught sight of the creature. It was facing her, cold onyx eyes capturing hers. Its purple markings giving of a sinister glow. For a moment, its body seemed to shimmer like a shadow, vexing in and out of existence. As she blinked, its corporeal form was back and with a roar, it started after her.

The wind whipped her hair wildly around her head as she ran with the black creature at her heels. She could feel it gaining on her, and in one swift movement just as the creature was about to reach out for her again, Eva threw herself to the side. Rolling down a little hill, she used her momentum to push herself back up and began to run again, ignoring the searing pain that threaten to overwhelm her every time she took a step.

Her amber eyes flickered back and forth, desperately searching for some place to hide, anything. As her eyes scanned the barren wasteland before her, her heart skipped a beat when her amber orbs landed on a derogated temple. Relief coursed through her, giving her enough strength to push herself faster. The creature behind her roared again. As she glanced over her shoulder, amber eyes widened and she just barely managed to dodge its claws as it swiped at her.

Just as she was about to sprint into safety something shot out from behind, making her stumble and trip. She hit the ground hard, forcing the breath out of her lungs and leaving her unable to scream. It took all her concentration to summon enough strength to push herself up. Blackness threatened to overwhelm her, but she forced her body not to give into the darkness teetering on the edge of her vision.

As her vision blurred, it only took her a second to understand that she wasn't going to make it. Tears sprung forth, threatening to spill over the brim as her legs buckled and she sank to the ground. She lay breathing heavily, waiting for the creature to finish her off. When nothing happened, she wearily opened her eyes only to stare straight into a pair of luminous black eyes. She suppressed a scream when she felt a warm clawed finger trace her leg and winced as it came to a stop right above her face. She lay utterly still, waiting until something inside her snapped. This was not how she wanted to die. She struggled against her own body. Exhaustion clung to her limbs and darkness threatened to overwhelm her. For a second her thoughts strayed to her father. Then to the Nourasian prince with the kind blue eyes and gentle nature. Finally to her partner's cocky grin and goofy nature. With newfound strength and determination, she pushed herself up and ran. The roar that followed her shook the earth beneath her, making her stumble. It was by sheer luck she kept from tumbling over.

The temple was just up ahead. She had never been happier to see one of Oban's ancient ruins. The moment she squeezed through the tight passage, relief so great it left her breathless overwhelmed her and as her legs buckled, tears of exhaustion cascaded down her red cheeks. The blackness of oblivion consumed her almost immediately.

* * *

 _So, what do you think? Like it, hate it, or something in between?_


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